


A Birthday Is Just Another Day

by vaderina



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Dougal is awesome, Graves' birthday, Happy Ending, M/M, Sad Graves, There is no surprise birthday party in this, but oh dear does it start off sad, graves needs a hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-16
Updated: 2017-07-15
Packaged: 2018-11-14 23:45:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11218743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vaderina/pseuds/vaderina
Summary: It was Percival's birthday and he was looking forward to it. The department had small traditions including hanging a banner, having cake and only having to work half a day. After everything last year when he celebrated his birthday as Grindelwald's captive Percival was quite excited that it was his special day. Except nobody seemed to remember that it was his birthday.Now with an optional fix-it in Chapter 2!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Not beta read.  
> Characters do not belong to me - only the typos and mistakes.

It was Percival’s birthday and he found himself oddly looking forward to it after the year he’d had. There were traditions in the department whenever it was someone’s birthday. Usually a banner was hung from the ceiling, there was cake in the small kitchen area and the lucky birthday person could get the afternoon off. Plus there was an anonymous bottle of fine firewhiskey that would appear on his desk. While the President of MACUSA couldn’t be seen openly gifting a subordinate lest she be accused of favouritism there was no reason why on special days a little gift without a note and a smile from Seraphina could be seen as anything but coincidental.

He hummed as he stretched in the empty bed. Newt was usually out of bed as soon as there was enough light to see so it wasn’t that unusual. Perhaps a birthday kiss would have been nice but Percival wouldn’t have dreamed of pushing his luck with ideas of a birthday breakfast. He scratched at his bare stomach as he padded into the kitchen. A cup of coffee sat steaming on the table and a note from Newt saying he’d had an emergency with a giant dung beetle but he’ll be back that evening. It somewhat soured Percival’s mood but he understood that for Newt his creatures came before everything else. Unless Percival’s life depended on it, Newt would always go out of his way to cater to his creatures over all others. Still, he had a nice coffee to get him started for the morning.

When he got to work he strolled through the corridors with a small smile. He knew he didn’t have any pressing matters to attend to so he’d have his half day off. Hopefully Newt would be back by then. And there’d be cake to make the morning pass just that little bit quicker. He almost hummed to himself.

The door to the department opened and he walked in. He tried not to let his face fall when there was no banner. Perhaps it had been damaged or lost as things sometimes go walkabouts in the department. A few of the aurors looked up at him and mumbled their morning greetings. He muttered them back. Nobody said anything about his birthday. Surreptitiously he glanced at the calendar they kept on the wall where major dates plus birthdays were written in. His name was scrawled in, in small writing, barely legible. But it was there. Percival tried to quell the disappointment, a banner wasn’t the thing that made a birthday good, it probably did just get lost.

He got to his office and stopped by his secretary for a list of his daily schedule. Some days things cropped up at short notice that were time sensitive and his secretary would slot them in around his other affairs. Percival wasn’t sure what he’d do without her. She greeted him in her usual fashion and rattled off the meetings and deadlines for the day. The whole day. Most of the meetings weren’t crucial and his attendance wasn’t compulsory but just desirable. He could have easily skipped them today and nobody would have minded. Yet they were scheduled in for the afternoon and he was expected to attend them. Percival nodded along as he listened to the secretary finish her summary and shuffled into his office.

An empty table greeted him. He knew that Seraphina was a busy woman and he couldn’t begrudge her that she didn’t have time for their unacknowledged silent gift exchange. Yet it couldn’t have come at a worse time for her to either skip it due to commitments or forget. Percival wasn’t sure which was worse. Considering nobody had even wished him a happy birthday and his name was barely legible in the small corner of the calendar it was perhaps safe to assume that everyone forgot. He sighed and settled in to read the reports that needed his most urgent attention. He was a full grown man who didn’t need validation from others for his birthday. He’s had plenty of them before and hopefully many more to come. One being forgotten wasn’t a big deal.

Except. It stung. Part of him hoped that it was an elaborate joke the department was playing on him. That maybe they wanted to surprise him. The small flame of hope had him leaving his office half way through the morning on the pretence of getting  a coffee. He strolled between the desks and tried not to show his heart wilting at the lack of banner. In the kitchen there was no cake. There were no cards wishing him many happy returns. He sighed as the water boiled and masked the sound of his heart sinking lower. There was a reason he tried not to be an optimist. All that ever came of it was heartbreak.

Someone walked in behind him. Immediately he stood up straighter and schooled his features into a more neutral, smooth frown. Goldstein was shuffling around behind him and he tried to give her a lopsided smile but something told him he’d missed the mark. His subordinate fumbled with the mug in her hands and cleared her throat.

“Happy birthday, sir.” She mumbled looking at the ground as though she were braced for a tongue lashing. So they hadn’t forgotten then. Percival tried to let nothing show on his face. He tried for a gentle smile when she looked up.

“Thank you Goldstein. Much appreciated. It’s nice to be remembered.” He rumbled quietly and turned back to his coffee. It must have been the steam stinging his eyes and that was why he’d slipped in the pointed barb about being remembered. Behind him Goldstein fumbled around but he just took his coffee and walked past her, hurrying as much as possible without it being obvious. The door shut with a quiet click behind him and he put the coffee down before his shaking hand spilt it.

So they knew it was his birthday. He hadn’t been forgotten, just ignored. Percival didn’t know which was worse. He wiped fiercely at his eyes and sniffed. He wasn’t going to cry. It was only a day like any other. His subordinates didn’t owe him anything. A knock sounded at his door. Quickly he sat down and tried to look normal. A flick of his wrist opened the door but he continued to look down on his paper. Goldstein’s coat drifted into view.

“The report you asked for last week sir.” she said, her voice was quiet. He took it from her grasp without looking up.

“Thank you. Was there anything else?” he asked, gaze still fixed on the financial report in his hand.

“No sir. That was all.”

She was too meek, her voice sounded pained. He listened to her leave before throwing the blurring report down and burying his head in his hands. A deep breath and more eye rubbing later he tipped his head back. He was fine, things were okay. It didn’t matter. He didn’t matter. He squeezed his eyes shut to force the tears back. There was work to be done, he didn’t have time to fall apart something so small and ridiculous as his colleagues ignoring his birthday. He had a country to protect and that’s what he was paid to do. Not to have cake and chitchat with his subordinates. Percival picked up the report he’d thrown down and tried to drown himself in the mundane numbers of the department’s finances.

The paperwork was slow going and his mind kept straying but gradually he was making his way through it all. Another knock interrupted his response to an interdepartmental memo. This time there was no hesitation as he opened the door and he even managed to look up. Except he desperately wished he hadn’t. Crowded around the door were all the aurors, Goldstein at the front, clutching a bottle of something tightly. They all looked nervous. Percival tried to smile reassuringly as they filed into his office. They were all crammed in when Goldstein put the bottle on his desk. It was a cheap brand of firewhiskey, the most expensive a corner shop would sell. No doubt that’s where it was from, there was a little shop just round the corner from MACUSA after all.

“Happy birthday, Sir.” Goldstein stuttered, she looked so wretched as she wrung her hands, brows furrowed in a sad worry. “We-um. We didn’t forget. Except last year you yelled at us so we thought this year you’d appreciate a more quiet day.”

“Last year?” Percival didn’t mean to sound so incredulous.

“Yes Sir.” Goldstein was almost whispering. “You made us take the banner down and made us work overtime.”

Percival glanced down at his desk to hold himself together.

“Last year I wasn’t here for my birthday.” he said it quietly, head bent as he tried to quell the voices in his head. Was he really no different? Did they really think it was him? Had they already forgotten what he’d been through for them? Percival bit his tongues as he dared glance up. He caught the moment realisation dawned on their collective faces and he’d wished he’d never opened the door to them. “However, your gesture is much appreciated. Thank you for your thoughts.”

“We also cleared your schedule for the afternoon if you wanted to go home early.” Goldstein mumbled to the floor, shame colouring her cheeks red. An afternoon at home alone sounded like bliss all of a sudden. Away from everyone, away from painful reminders that no matter what he did, he was still the same person in their eyes as Grindelwald’s mockery had been.

“That’s very kind of you,” he replied, voice even, “I think I will head home early.”

Goldstein and the others nodded and filed out, each murmuring an iteration of happy birthday before the last one out closed the door. It was Goldstein and she threw him one more remorse filled look before the door shut. Immediately Percival’s façade of cool shattered along with whatever pieces were left of his heart. They thought he was no different from Grindelwald. Or at least they’d forgotten that Grindelwald had taken his place. He stared at the bottle of firewhiskey sat innocently on his desk. It was painfully obvious they had clubbed together after his first run-in with Goldstein and as quick as possible bought him the best thing they could find in the corner shop down the street. If only it hadn’t felt like a mockery and a slap in the face each time he looked at the bottle. Part of him wanted to throw it against the wall in a fit of childish rage yet he knew they meant well. They were trying to remedy the situation and unwittingly just made it so much worse.

Eventually he managed to collect himself enough to finish dealing with the reports and memos on his desk. Summoning his coat he put everything away and shrunk the bottle to fit in his coat pocket. As he made his way out of his office and through the department very few people met his eyes and even fewer wished him a pleasant afternoon. Logically he understood they were feeling guilty but he didn’t want to bear their conscience for them or ease it by letting them all but ignore him as he headed home early. Yet the part of him that was their boss didn’t let him do anything other than stoically march through, acknowledge the well wishes of those who dared talk to him and leave quietly. He just hoped Newt was home.

The house was quiet. Too quiet. As Percival walked through the empty rooms towards the kitchen he tentatively called out for Newt but there was no reply. On the kitchen table where the coffee and note had been sat a plate and another note. Newt had left him sandwiches for dinner in case he wasn’t back. In the note he complained about the lack of good quality dung available in New York and having to go further afield to source some for his poor giant dung beetles who were getting antsy without any to roll around.

The bitterness overwhelmed Percival and he sat heavily on the chair. He slumped down, shoulder curling inwards as he tried to fight back the tears. Newt had gone off for the day for a bag of literal shit. It said a lot about Percival as a person that his partner would leave him on his birthday to find quality crap for a giant dung beetle. Percival propped his elbows on the table to cradle his head and tried so hard not to think that a bag of dung was more important than him.  The tears came thick and fast at that realisation and he couldn’t bring himself to care. His chest heaved with each breath as he sobbed out his misery.

A small tug at the sleeve of his shirt brought him up short. He hoped it was Newt there to tentatively comfort him and he wiped snot and tears from his face in a desperate bid to save his dignity. Except he knew that the tug was too light, made by hands too small. Dougal stood beside him with a concerned expression. After a brief pause the demiguise reached out and tugged at Percival’s arm again, more insistently. He had nothing better to do so Percival got up and followed the demiguise who led him to the case. They descended and Percival’s lips trembled. An illegal beast was showing him more care than any of the humans he’d encountered today had. A few tears slipped down his cheek unbidden.

They took a winding path through the case until they got to a small clearing. It was filled with flowers that wafted in a gentle breeze. The artificial sun was warm and bright on his back as they sat down in the field. Once Percival was settled cross legged and hunched over Dougal retreated and disappeared into another habitat. The grass and flowers were soft between Percival’s fingers as he tore at them absentmindedly. At least he had the tears more or less under control and his breath only shuddered every now and then when he let his mind stray to painful memories both recent and from the more distant past.

He didn’t notice Dougal appear next to him again on quiet feet. Instead a treat clutched in tight paws drifted into his sight. It was one of Dougal’s special treats. The ones Newt had to hide somewhere new every day because Dougal would inevitably find them and scoff more than he should. Percival thought he had the tears under control but they began freely flowing as he took the offered treat. Here was a creature he’d barely known for less than a year, one that had been hurt and abused by humans before ending up in Newt’s care and this beast was offering him his prized treat because he was miserable. The treat crumbled slightly in his fist as he clutched it tight to his chest, trying to hold himself together.

Time lost all meaning for a little while until Percival could breathe easier once again. His tears had run dry but that didn’t stop the dry sobs or the misery. He blinked at Dougal who was sat quietly next to him with a bunch of flowers by his legs. When Dougal noticed Percival’s attention was on him the demiguise reached for some of the flowers. They were large, pink and beautiful in their own way. They also formed a chain which Percival watched with morbid fascination raise closer to his head. He let Dougal place the crown of flowers on his head before the demiguise took a smaller chain and put it on his own head. It caused a tiny chuckle to bubble up in Percival and he offered up the now sweat damp and crushed treat to Dougal who simply pushed his open hand closed again. It was such a simple gesture yet it still made Percival’s lips quiver. He suddenly couldn’t remember the last time someone was kind to him without hidden intent.

A shadow loomed over them and before Percival could react a giant body flopped down behind him. The nundu curled around him and placed its giant head in his lap. She stared up at him from her position until he haltingly began to scratch behind her ears. The almost deafening purr was enough to outweigh the voices in his head and quiet his sorrows just a little. Slowly other creatures came up to him. The niffler left a shiny button on his knee before being overcome by a sudden bout of shyness and scuttling off. The diricrawl family began playing around him, occasionally darting close enough to tease the nundu who’d take a lazy swipe at them. Their antics were enough to bring a chuckle from his throat.

“Percival?” Newt’s voice cut through the peaceful afternoon sunlight. Percival looked up at Newt who stared at him with disbelieving pride. Slowly he approached the pile of creatures which had grown to include a few moonclaves and the murtlap. Percival’s flower crown took that moment to slip low over his left eye and Newt let out a small laugh as he righted it.

“Are you okay?” his voice was soft, eyes crinkled at the corner with worry. Percival didn’t want to think about how he looked, puffy and red eyed, he could feel the dried tear tracks on his face. His shirt sleeve was still sodden from when he tried to bite down on it to stifle his sobs. The honest answer to the question would have been to shake his head and say no, he wasn’t okay. But how could he explain it all to Newt without sounding like a sulking child because his birthday wasn’t the way he wanted it? So no, instead he gritted his teeth, forced a smile and nodded. He was fine, absolutely fine. He always was. Just sometimes a little less fine than other times.

True to his nature Newt didn’t call him out on the blatant lie. Instead he held out a hand and gave him a soft smile.

“If you’d come with me, I’d like to show you something.”

Without hesitation Percival took the offered hand and let himself be pulled up. Creatures went toppling from him with various grumbles.

“Did you find proper manure in the end?” Percival asked and he mentally patted himself on the back for his voice not breaking.

“It was a struggle but there’s a farm on the outskirts which has horse manure. Not ideal but it will do in a pinch. But that’s not what I wanted to show you.”

Newt picked a few stray bits of grass of his shirt before turning to lead them back out of the case. Up they went, into the kitchen. There was a low light from a couple of candles lit on the freshly laid kitchen table. On one plate lay a small black velvet box. Behind it was a cake with more lit candles and the aroma of a home cooked meal drifted through the room.

“Happy birthday love.” Newt murmured as he stood next to the table, fingers running nervously over the small box. Once again Percival found he eyes welling up. But for the first time that day it was from joy.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The optional fix it as requested by anon on tumblr.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not beta read.  
> Characters don't belong to me - only the typos and mistakes.
> 
>  
> 
> This was written to fulfil the request of an anon on tumblr.

So Newt hadn’t forgotten his birthday. Percival felt bitter relief at that and he couldn’t find it in himself to see his selfishness as repugnant. He took in the candles, the cake and the little box Newt had run his fingers over. After everything that day Percival had thought he had no more tears yet they once again welled up. Newt wrapped him in a warm embrace, burying his nose in his hair and held him.

“I heard you had a horrid day.” Newt rumbled. It only made the sobs come harder, now that there was another human to share his misery with the feelings all came back in a fresh wash of pain. “I’m sorry I was out this morning. I did pop back at lunch of the hopes you were home but you were still at the office. So I left you the note and sandwiches in case we didn’t cross paths when I went to MACUSA to get you.”

Percival’s fingers gripped tightly at the back of his shirt. He didn’t want to think of today, he didn’t need the painful reminders. In that moment all he wanted was to be held and loved. A reassurance that he still mattered outside of his job, outside of his capabilities. That he was still wanted even when he wasn’t useful or had something someone else desired. He felt Newt move them, slowly bringing them round then he was being gently pulled down. Percival lost a bit of time in the warm dark comfort of Newt’s shoulders, the man warm and steady against him, a firm constant against the turmoil that threatened to pull him apart. Not once did Newt shift uneasily though Percival must have been a heavy weight in his lap and his legs must have been going numb. Instead he was wrapped in arms, a hand rested on the back of his neck in a grounding pressure. It felt safe and for the first time that day it didn’t feel like Percival was struggling to hold himself together all alone.

Eventually he raised his head, the candles were burning lower in their holders and the candles on the cake had been frozen mid flicker under a stasis charm. His eye found Newt’s who smiled at him warmly. Almost on autopilot Graves gravitated towards him, lips seeking further comfort from soft kisses. They pulled apart when Newt chuckled, having to break the kiss. He scratched at his forehead where the flower crown still sat askew Percival’s head had tickled him. Gently, Newt reached around him and grabbed the small velvet box on the plate. They stared at each other before Newt broke the silence.

“I’m not sure if now is appropriate to ask all of a sudden. But the surprise has been ruined either way.” He glanced down at the box he was fiddling with. Percival lay a hand on his, stilling them.

“I’m not sure if I want to remember today in all the years to come.” He sounded sad and weary but Newt nodded and slipped the box out of sight into a pocket.

“Perhaps you’d like to have dinner with me still? I cooked your favourite while you were down in the case.” It was a hopeful question and Percival could only kiss him once more before getting to his feet and taking the other chair by the table. Newt flicked his wand, inconspicuously rubbing feeling back into his legs where he sat. The food started to float towards them when something twigged for Percival.

“Wait. You said you went to MACUSA?”

Newt hummed in response but made no attempt to elaborate.

“What-. What did you do there?” Percival asked cautiously.

“I went to find you. See, I knew about having the afternoon off and got a bit worried when you didn’t come home for lunch. Except when I got there you’d already left.”

“Oh.” Percival didn’t know what to say to that. He looked back down at his half empty plate and felt his appetite waver.

“Tina explained everything though.” Newt’s voice turned cool at the memory, he could almost feel Percival’s pain.

“So you know.” He was almost ashamed of it. Percival felt exposed all of a sudden, the shame of his subordinates not forgetting his birthday but rather forgetting that last year it wasn’t him they tried to celebrate with. He still couldn’t decide which was worse. Quietly he placed his knife and fork down and reached for his glass to disguise freshly wobbling lips with a sip.

“I do.” Came the soft reply. “So I gave them a crash course in common human decency.”

Percival almost choked on his drink.

“You what?”

“I gave them a crash course in common human decency.” Newt repeated more slowly as though speaking to a child.

“How? What even is that? How did they take it?”

“You don’t want to know.” Newt grinned slyly at him. “Now eat up, we still have your cake after this.”

The cake was indeed wonderful and when they slid into bed that evening Percival held protectively by Newt, he thought that perhaps the evening of his birthday wasn’t quite as awful as the day had started out to be.

Next day he walked into work and tried to ignore the glances he was getting. His aurors flashed him remorseful looks but said nothing. All their files and reports were on time, precise and he didn’t have to send any of them back to be rewritten. It was a miracle in itself. He cut off Goldstein’s mumbled apologies with a curt interruption and told her to get back to work. It seemed to do the trick. Over the course of the week things slowly settled down, reports became their usual sloppy quality and the sad glances and whispers stopped. Things returned to relative normal after that and Percival was quietly grateful for it.

Months slipped by, Newt came and went on his travels but spent most of his time with Percival when he had a few weeks at a time to be in one place. It was their usual rhythm of unpredictability which was a soft comfort to the both. Newt was off on another wild adventure chasing rumours of a new breed of dragon. In the morning Percival got up, made himself a cup of coffee and lamented the fact that the past week had been so quiet and peaceful at home. There were no occamies to unwind from around the lights, no niffler pawing at the door of the trinkets cupboard. He even missed the roar of the nundu he could hear every morning when Newt went down for his morning rounds. It was quiet, it was calm and he’d never realised how bored he could be without the chaos of Newt and his creatures.

There was no incentive for Percival to linger in his home those mornings. So as soon as he was ready he left for work. Most days he was the first one to arrive and sometimes last to leave. At least it didn’t leave room for anyone to question his dedication to his job. That morning he strolled into the building. He enjoyed work but not to the point he’d rush in to get started on his paperwork. The memo-mice would wait patiently for him no matter when he got there.

The elevator ride up with Red was quiet and uneventful even if the elf gave him a more sour look than usual. The halls were quiet as he walked towards his department. He paused outside the door as he hears low mutterings. It was unusual and for a second he thought he’d heard Newt’s voice from within. Percival dismissed it as wishful thinking and his imagination running wild and pushed the door open.

Confetti fell around him in a blustery storm of soft paper. A banner hung from the ceiling – it read “Happy 10th Anniversary” and everyone from the department was crowded under it with wide, hopeful smiles. Percival’s eyes darted to the calendar but nobody’s birthday was written in and he couldn’t think of who in the department had been married for 10 years.

“Oh dear.” He said. “I think I ruined the surprise for someone else. Shall we get the confetti back in?” His wand was already in his palm, spell on the top of his tongue when Goldstein stepped up to him.

“Happy anniversary, boss.” She smiled at him and pressed a small, carefully wrapped present into his hands. Slowly, one by one, all the other aurors came up to him, some bearing a gift while others just patted him on the back and handed him an envelope. Percival was bewildered. By the time Seraphina approached him with a bottle of the finest firewhiskey he knew money could buy he was floundering, speechless and so so lost.

“10 years as director, that’s quite a record Percival. Was being the youngest DMLE not enough?” she teased him gently.

“It’s been that long?” he muttered in surprise.

“And longer with you as not only my right hand man but one of my most trusted friends. Happy anniversary.” The bottle was placed on the desk next to him and he was given a quick peck on the cheek. “I have to get to work now, but pop by one evening when you’ve got the time. Your company is always welcome.”

She left and behind her stood a widely smiling Newt. He was more tanned than before he’d left and looked a little more wild than usual. Not caring who was watching Percival strode towards him and swept him up in a hug. Newt laughed delightedly and enveloped Percival in his arms.

“I didn’t realise you’d be back so soon.” Percival laughed breathlessly as he held Newt by his shoulders an arm’s length away to get a good look at him.

“Surprise.” Newt grinned back. The aurors had quietly gathered around them. For trained professionals they were suddenly doing an awful job of disguising their loitering interest. Before Percival could grumble at them to get back to work Newt stepped away and flicked his wand. A cake drifted in from the kitchen area, 10 candles alight on it. It took a lot of will power for Percival to keep his emotions in check but he was left with no doubt that despite his best efforts his face flickered through a series of emotions. The cake came to a gentle floating stop in front of him.

“Make a wish.” Newt encouraged him. Percival only took a moment to think before he closed his eyes and blew. There was a slight pop and a flash of green light which had him blinking in surprise. Where the candles had been, the cake now had a small velvet box floating just over the middle of it. As he watched it slowly swung open to reveal a simple golden band. He looked up at Newt whose smile was filled with hope.

“Marry me?” he asked. Percival grinned.

“Always.” He said and Newt was launching himself at the director. The cake forgotten almost fell to the ground, the spell Newt had cast on it to float forgotten in his haste to get close to Percival. It was only Goldstein’s quick thinking which prevented such a disaster. The aurors around them cheered and once they surfaced from their kiss, rings fresh on fingers they were congratulated. After a breakfast of cake and absolutely no work he and Newt were ushered back out the door with well wishes and wolf whistles.

While it didn’t erase the memories of his disastrous birthday out, it certainly helped ease the old hurt which he’d managed to all but forget about. However, for the first time since then he was genuinely happy to that particular group of people working for and with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come say hi on tumblr - @ladyoftheshrimp

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on tumblr - I'm @ladyoftheshrimp


End file.
